"Where am I?"
Ye Tianxuan woke up groggily, feeling as if his entire body had been torn apart like a ragdoll. There wasn't a single inch of him that didn't ache.
"Have I been reborn?"
As memories flooded his mind, Ye Tianxuan whispered softly. There was no joy on his face at the prospect of rebirth; instead, his eyes brimmed with profound killing intent and hatred.
"My dear disciple!"
A cold sneer tugged at the corners of Ye Tianxuan's mouth.
He was once the Supreme Emperor of the Nine Summits, a master whom no god or demon could rival. With a flick of his hand, he could summon clouds and rain; with a single glance, he could crush any enemy of the age.
He stood alone at the pinnacle of power!
Yet, his beloved disciple, in a desperate bid to ascend to the imperial throne, had conspired with Ye Tianxuan’s own lover to poison him with the Immortal-Fallen Poison, causing his cultivation base to plummet.
Fortunately, Ye Tianxuan had once chanced upon an ancient secret technique called the "Nine Cycles Reincarnation Formula" in a hidden realm, which allowed his fractured soul to escape and be reborn into the body of a boy who shared his name.
But his situation was dire.
This current body’s meridians were completely severed and his dantian shattered; he was beyond the reach of cultivation.
But this could not stump Ye Tianxuan.
As the former Supreme Emperor, even without a dantian, he had ways to forge a different path. He closed his eyes, silently sensing the surrounding heaven and earth Yuan Qi.
The God and Demon Body Refining Formula!
An ancient technique specialized solely in tempering the physical body. Once mastered, one could crush stars and level mountains with a wave of a hand, and even tear through space with the slightest movement.
"Hiss!"
Threads of Yuan Qi seeped into his body, scouring his meridians like sharp knives. The sensation was so piercing that Ye Tianxuan couldn't help but gasp. Countless beads of blood began to seep from his pores, and in an instant, he was drenched in gore. It looked terrifying, but in reality, it was merely the stagnant blood within him being purged.
Outside the courtyard, a flurry of footsteps approached. Ye Tianxuan ceased his cultivation; it was a process that could not be interrupted, lest he suffer qi deviation or perish on the spot.
"Sister-in-law!"
Ye Zhengwen stood at the gate of Ye Tianxuan’s small courtyard with several men in tow. He watched Li Wanqing approach, breathless and dusty, a mocking smile on his face. His gaze turned incredibly greedy the moment it landed on the porcelain bottle gripped tightly in her hand.
"What is the meaning of this?" Li Wanqing asked, eyeing Ye Zhengwen and his companions with suspicion.
"Sister-in-law," Ye Zhengwen smiled faintly. "I only have one request: please hand over the pill in your hand to me."
"Impossible!" Li Wanqing’s expression shifted instantly, and she glared at him. She had spent three days and three nights kneeling before her own family to beg for this pill. It was her son's only hope.
"Sister-in-law, I am not asking for your consent." Ye Zhengwen’s voice turned cold. "Tianxuan is already a cripple. What good will the Body-Regenerating Creation Pill do for him? Why not give it to me? My son’s talent is no lesser than Tianxuan’s. If he consumes the pill, I am certain he can lead our Ye Family to even greater heights."
He stared intently at Li Wanqing, his words sounding high-minded and righteous.
"Ha!" Li Wanqing saw right through his charade. She sneered, "Get that idea out of your head. I would rather feed the pill to a dog than give it to you."
"My husband is missing and my son has been ambushed. Instead of looking for my husband or investigating the culprit who harmed my son, you people are only interested in snatching this pill. Do you even have a shred of humanity left?"
Listening to Li Wanqing’s grief-stricken voice, Ye Tianxuan felt her pain as if it were his own. Boundless fury washed over him, and his eyes burned with rage.
Facing her anger, Ye Zhengwen remained unfazed. "I am deeply concerned and heartbroken by my brother’s disappearance. But the most important thing is the continuity of this family. We must select a new head of the household and determine who among the younger generation should be nurtured."
"Sister-in-law, I am trying to be reasonable with you. Don't force my hand. Hand over the pill. Once my son, Zhengyun, reaches a higher cultivation level, he will naturally avenge Tianxuan."
The Ye Family was currently under Ye Zhengwen’s control. With the eldest brother missing and Ye Tianxuan crippled, Li Wanqing was isolated. Although her maiden family was a massive power, she had severed ties with them years ago to marry her husband.
"Then let us see if you have the means to take it from me." Li Wanqing took a deep breath, tossed those cold words at him, and walked forward. She didn't want to waste another second. The sooner her son took the pill, the better it would be for him.
"Sister-in-law, I advise you not to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Ye Zhengwen sighed deeply, his eyes flickering. Yuan Qi surged around him; if she dared to take another step, he would strike. He had to have that pill.
"Ha!" Li Wanqing merely laughed coldly.
"Sister-in-law, don't blame me. You forced my hand." Seeing her treat his words like wind, Ye Zhengwen raised his hand and struck. His palm glowed with a dazzling, radiant purple light. Wherever the purple light touched, the space trembled, as if something were about to tear through the void.
"I never thought you were hiding so much—you’re actually at the Blood Wheel Realm." Li Wanqing’s expression shifted slightly. She had never expected him to be a Blood Wheel Realm cultivator. "However, if that is all the skill you have, it’s not enough."
Though surprised that he had been hiding his strength, she remained unconcerned. She was at the Bone Tempering Realm. There was a full major realm of difference between them!
Li Wanqing reached out, her hand glowing with a soft, jade-like luster, and collided with Ye Zhengwen’s strike.
"Boom!"
A massive shockwave erupted. Unable to withstand the force, Ye Zhengwen was knocked back more than ten steps before he could steady himself. He stared at her in disbelief. Since Li Wanqing had married his brother, she had not fought anyone for years; he had no idea of her true strength.
After forcing him back with one move, Li Wanqing paused only for a moment before rushing to Ye Tianxuan’s door and pushing it open.
"Xuan'er!" Seeing Ye Tianxuan covered in blood, Li Wanqing couldn't hold back her tears. "Mother has obtained the Body-Regenerating Creation Pill for you. Once you take it, you will be able to cultivate again."
She helped him up and brought the pill to his lips. Looking at her, Ye Tianxuan felt a sense of warmth he had never known in his past life—it was unfamiliar, yet deeply comforting.
"Stop!" Ye Zhengwen roared, lunging toward them. He swung both palms toward Ye Tianxuan, who was still sitting on the bed. He intended to use the boy's life to force Li Wanqing to surrender.